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Chord Inversions Explained: Root Position, First and Second Inversion, and Slash Chords
The name "C major chord" covers three different-sounding piano voicings: C–E–G, E–G–C and G–C–E. Same three notes, but each one puts a different note in the bass, and that bass note changes the color, the direction and the smoothness of the music around it. The idea of treating those three voicings as one chord is called an inversion, and it is one of the most useful tools in harmony.
This lesson defines every inversion for triads and seventh chords, gives each one its figured-bass shorthand (5/3, 6, 6/4, 7, 6/5, 4/3, 4/2), explains slash-chord notation (C/E, C/G), and shows why inversions matter for bass lines, voice leading and the cadential 6/4. The figured bass worksheet is the natural companion: it covers the symbols in depth, with the same shorthand this article uses.
What "inversion" means
An inversion simply names which chord tone is sitting at the bottom. Take C major: its three notes are C (the root), E (the 3rd) and G (the 5th). When C is the lowest note the chord is in root position. Move C up an octave so that E becomes the lowest note, and you have first inversion. Move E up an octave so that G is on the bottom, and you have second inversion. The chord stays C major throughout; only the bass note changes.
Figured bass — the system of numbers written under a bass line in Baroque music — captures this with two or three intervals measured upward from the bass note. Root position is 5/3 (a 5th and a 3rd above the bass), written without any numbers because it is assumed as the default. First inversion is 6/3, usually shortened to just 6. Second inversion is 6/4. These compact numbers are still the standard shorthand in harmony textbooks.
C major in its three positions. The root C, the 3rd E and the 5th G are always present; only the bass note changes. Slash notation: C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
The same three positions apply to any triad. Here is F major (F–A–C) in all three:
F major in root position, first inversion (F/A) and second inversion (F/C). The bass notes are F, A and C respectively — the same three chord tones, rotating through.
The worksheet Triads & their inversions gives you C, F and G in all three positions with audio, so you can hear how each one sounds. Identify the triads & inversions then drills the same triads as written chords to name. If you are new to the triad itself — what notes go into a major or minor chord in the first place — the guide to building piano chords covers triads, chord qualities and seventh chords before returning to inversions in context.
Spotting the gap
A quick way to identify any inversion by eye: in root position, a triad stacks as three notes with no large gaps — line-line-line or space-space-space on the staff (each pair a 3rd apart). An inversion has exactly one wider gap, a 4th, and the note at the top of that 4th is the root. The gap tells you where the bottom note of the original stack moved to.
Try it on first inversion C/E (E–G–C from low to high): the 4th is from G to C, so C is the root. On second inversion C/G (G–C–E): the 4th is from G to C again, but now it is at the bottom; the top note C is still the root.
A good ear exercise is to play any inversion and ask yourself: where is the gap? Then transpose the chord so that the note at the top of the gap sits at the bottom, and you have root position. This mental rearrangement is exactly the skill that Identify the triads & inversions practices on paper before you try it at speed.
The augmented triad is the one exception: its three notes split the octave into three equal major 3rds, so every inversion has exactly the same shape, and only the spelling reveals the root.
Inversions of a seventh chord
Add a 7th to a triad and you get a fourth possible position: third inversion, with the 7th in the bass. The figured-bass shorthand for all four positions of a seventh chord is:
- Root position (7): 7/5/3, abbreviated to 7. Bass = root.
- First inversion (6/5): 6/5/3. Bass = 3rd.
- Second inversion (4/3): 6/4/3. Bass = 5th.
- Third inversion (4/2): 6/4/2. Bass = 7th.
The two-number figures shown are the conventional abbreviations. A dominant seventh chord like G7 (G–B–D–F) has all four positions: G7 in root position, G7/B in first inversion, G7/D in second inversion and G7/F in third inversion.
G7 (the dominant seventh in C major) in all four positions. The bass note steps upward through the chord tones: G, B, D, F. Each position has its own characteristic feel: the third inversion (4/2) is especially restless because the dissonant 7th is exposed in the bass.
Identify the dominant 7ths & inversions gives you G7, C7 and D7 in all four positions to name, and Hear the Bass of a Dominant Seventh trains your ear to tell them apart.
Slash-chord notation
Modern chord symbols use a slash to show which note is in the bass: C/E means a C major chord with E in the bass (first inversion), and C/G means C major with G in the bass (second inversion). The letter before the slash is the chord; the letter after is the bass note.
A slash chord is an inversion when the bass note is a chord tone. C/E and C/G are inversions of C. But the bass note can also be a note that is not part of the chord, and then it is not an inversion — it is a genuine non-chord bass, sometimes called a pedal point or a polychord depending on context. C/D, for instance, puts a D in the bass under a C major triad (C–E–G over D). D is not in C major, so C/D is not an inversion of C; it is a separate harmonic device.
Whether a slash chord is an inversion or a non-chord bass matters for how you hear and use it. An inversion still functions as the same chord; it just changes the timbre and bass motion. A non-chord bass can create deliberate tension (C/D is common in pop and gospel as a kind of suspended dominant sound) or a pedal that holds a note while chords change above it.
C/E (left) is a chord tone in the bass: first inversion. C/D (right) is not an inversion because D is not in the C major chord. Same notation, two different functions.
Why inversions matter: smooth bass lines
One of the most practical reasons to use inversions is to create a bass line that moves by step. A chord change that keeps every voice as close as possible to its previous position sounds smooth; one that jumps a 5th sounds decisive. Using inversions lets you have a consistent chord sequence with a stepwise, melodic bass.
Here is a bass line that steps downward through the scale using inversions of the common chords in C major: C – G/B – Am – C/G – F. The bass moves C–B–A–G–F, a whole-step descent, while the chords stay inside the key.
A descending bass line in C major using inversions. G/B = G major first inversion (B in bass); C/G = C major second inversion (G in bass). The chords change, but the bass moves down by step each bar.
Verify the notes in each chord: C major = C–E–G (bar 1). G/B = G–B–D with B in the bass (bar 2). Am = A–C–E (bar 3). C/G = C–E–G with G in the bass (bar 4). F = F–A–C (bar 5). Every chord tone is correct, and the bass reads C–B–A–G–F.
This same technique is behind hundreds of well-known songs and classical pieces. The Build a Bassline from Chord Roots worksheet shows you how to build a bass line from a chord sequence, and Accompaniment patterns puts those bass notes into left-hand patterns. For chord-tone practice across all keys, Chords & Progressions in Every Key gives you the full set.
Why inversions matter: voice leading
Voice leading is the art of moving from chord to chord so that each individual voice (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) moves as smoothly as possible. Inversions make smooth voice leading easier because they let you choose which chord tone to put in the bass, which controls how far the bass has to jump.
Compare I–IV in C major: in root position, the bass leaps from C (C–E–G) to F (F–A–C), a perfect 4th. If you use second inversion IV/C instead — keeping C in the bass and moving the upper voices — the bass does not move at all. That static bass gives the chord change a floating quality. If you use first inversion IV/A (A–C–F), the bass moves C→A, a minor 3rd. The choice of inversion is the choice of how much energy the progression projects.
I–IV in root position (left): the bass leaps a 4th. I–IV6/4 with the C held in the bass (right): the bass stays on C and the upper voices move by step. Same two chords; very different feeling.
The Four-part harmony worksheet systematically explores smooth voice leading in SATB (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) writing, and you will find inversions doing this work throughout. If you are studying chord progressions more broadly, the guide to common chord progressions in popular music genres shows inversions in real songs.
The cadential 6/4
The second inversion of the tonic chord (I6/4, figured bass 6/4) has a special and important job in classical harmony: it appears just before the dominant at a cadence, creating a moment of suspension and tension before the final resolution. This combination — I6/4 followed by V or V7, then resolving to I — is called the cadential 6/4.
In C major: G–C–E in the bass voice and upper voices (the 6/4 inversion of C major, with G in the bass) moves to G–B–D (or G7, adding F), then to C–E–G. The bass note G holds through both the 6/4 and the V chord, so the ear hears the C and E above it not as a chord change but as suspended tones (like a 4–3 and an 8–5 suspension) that then resolve downward to B and D.
The cadential 6/4 in C major: I6/4–V–I. The bass note G holds while the upper voices resolve downward. This is the standard close for a classical phrase or period.
The 6/4 chord: three jobs covers the three main ways a second inversion appears: the cadential 6/4 at a cadence, the passing 6/4 that connects two root-position chords, and the pedal 6/4 that decorates the tonic. Name the 6/4 chords gives you a written drill to identify all three in context.
Inverting D7
The worked examples so far have used C major. Here is D7 (D–F♯–A–C) in all four positions, following exactly the figured-bass shorthand:
- Root (7): D in bass, D–F♯–A–C. This is the dominant seventh in G major, V7.
- First inversion (6/5): F♯ in bass, F♯–A–C–D.
- Second inversion (4/3): A in bass, A–C–D–F♯.
- Third inversion (4/2): C in bass, C–D–F♯–A.
Check every note: the chord is always D–F♯–A–C (D major triad plus the minor 7th C, which is 10 half steps above D or one whole step below D's octave). The bass cycles through D–F♯–A–C as you move through the four inversions.
D7 in all four positions. The bass steps through the chord tones D, F♯, A, C. F♯ always needs a sharp, and C is always natural (the minor 7th, not the major).
Inversions on guitar
On piano, inversions are mainly a matter of which note lands in the left hand. On guitar, the story is different: the tuning (E–A–D–G–B–E from low to high) means that standard open-chord shapes already have specific inversions built in. An open G major chord, for example, typically has G on the low E string (root position in the bass) but may have a B on the bottom of the voicing instead if the guitarist mutes or omits the low E string — that makes it a first inversion G/B.
For a guitarist, the most useful inversion technique is not rearranging notes but adding a bass note below an existing chord shape: putting a G on the low E or A string while holding an E minor shape gives E/G, the first inversion of E minor. Many pop and rock songs use walking bass lines exactly this way: the chord symbol stays the same while the bass guitarist (or the left hand on keys) moves through the chord tones one step at a time.
Slash notation on a chord chart is often the guitarist's first encounter with inversions — a chart might read Am – Am/G – F – C, and the guitarist needs to know that Am/G simply means the same Am chord (A–C–E) with G at the bottom. That G can be an open string, which makes the voicing practical without any hand gymnastics.
Inversions for pianists: practical voicings
At the piano, inversions are essential for playing smoothly in any key. The root-position versions of I, IV and V in C major require large jumps in the left hand between C, F and G. The first-inversion IV (F/A, with A in the bass) or first-inversion V (G/B) keeps the bass voice much closer to C.
The progression I–IV–V–I played as C–F/A–G/B–C keeps the bass on a smooth stepwise line: C–A–B–C (or C–F–G–C in root position, depending on which inversions you choose). Once you have this under your fingers, every key follows the same logic — not the same fingerings, but the same principle. Triads & their inversions gives you C, F and G with audio across all three positions, and Hear the Bass of the Triad trains your ear to identify the bass note of a triad you hear.
I–IV6–V6–I in C major with first-inversion IV and V. The bass line C–A–B–C stays close (down a 3rd to A, then up by step to B and C), keeping the hand close instead of leaping.
For comparison: the same four chords in root position, where the bass leaps between C, F and G:
The same progression in root position. The bass jumps a 4th (C to F), then a 2nd (F to G), then a 5th (G to C): a less smooth line than the inversion version above.
Connecting inversions to figured bass and Roman numerals
Figured bass and Roman numerals are two ways to describe the same thing. The Roman numeral names the chord's root and quality (I, ii, V7); the figured-bass number describes what is in the bass relative to that root. When you combine them: I6 means a tonic chord in first inversion (3rd in bass); I6/4 means tonic in second inversion (5th in bass); V4/2 means the dominant seventh in third inversion (7th in bass).
The table below summarizes all seven standard positions:
The seven standard inversion positions for triads and seventh chords. The figures on the left come from intervals above the bass; the Roman-numeral shorthand on the right combines them with the chord's numeral.
It is also worth showing one more inversion in a musical phrase: G major (G–B–D) in all three positions across two staves, so you can see how the voicing changes even as the chord symbol stays G:
G major in root position, first inversion (G/B) and second inversion (G/D). In a progression in C major these appear as V, V6 and V6/4 respectively.
For a full worked-out example with a Baroque bass line to realize, Figured bass is the starting point and Realize the figured bass gives you exercises to complete.
A practice routine
Work through one new key each week. For each key, take these four steps at the piano:
- Three positions of the tonic triad. Play I in root position, first inversion and second inversion, both hands, saying the bass note each time: for C major that is C (root position), E (first inversion) and G (second inversion). Then do the same for IV and V.
- Stepwise bass line. Play the progression I–V6–vi–I6/4–IV, letting the bass step downward: in C that is C–B–A–G–F, as in the Chords & Progressions in Every Key sheet. Adjust for the key's sharps or flats.
- Cadential 6/4. Play I6/4–V–I in the key, then I6/4–V7–I. Listen for the suspended feel and the resolution. Cadences gives you these in every key with audio.
- Ear check. Play I in root position, then I6, then I6/4, closing your eyes. Can you hear which one is in the bass? Use Ear Training: Triad Inversions for a guided drill.
If you are working through chord progressions and want to hear inversions in a real musical context, The primary chords: I, IV & V and The Primary Chords in Every Key show how root-position and inverted chords sit alongside each other in a sequence, with audio.
Free worksheets for this lesson
- Triads & their inversions — C, F and G in root position, first and second inversion, with audio.
- Identify the triads & inversions — written triads to name and invert.
- Hear the Bass of the Triad — ear training for root position vs inversions, with audio.
- Ear Training: Triad Inversions — guided ear drill for all three positions, with audio.
- Identify the dominant 7ths & inversions — G7, C7 and D7 in four positions to name.
- Hear the Bass of a Dominant Seventh — four positions of V7 by ear, with audio.
- The 6/4 chord: three jobs — cadential, passing and pedal 6/4, with audio.
- Name the 6/4 chords — written drill for the three functions.
- Figured bass — symbols and what they mean, with audio.
- Realize the figured bass — write the right-hand chords above a figured bass.
- Build a Bassline from Chord Roots — build your own bass from chord symbols.
- Accompaniment patterns — left-hand patterns using chord tones, with audio.
- Four-part harmony — SATB voice leading with inversions, with audio.
- Cadences — perfect, plagal, half and deceptive in every key, with audio.
- The primary chords: I, IV & V — the three-chord loop in root position and close position, with audio.
- The Primary Chords in Every Key — I, IV and V across all 24 keys, with audio.
- Chords & Progressions in Every Key — full chord sets for each key, with audio.
Listen for the bass note
The whole point of inversions becomes clear the moment you play a chord sequence with a smooth bass against one with root-position jumps. The bass note determines the color and direction of a chord, and knowing which note you are putting there — and why — is what makes a chord change sound like a musical choice instead of an accident.
If you want someone to listen to your bass lines and inversions in real time, a Tissimo piano teacher can check them in a live lesson and suggest the progressions that suit whatever you are learning.
Sources
Read this article online: https://tissimo.co/articles/chord-inversions-explained-root-position-first-and-second
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